SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Rallies Rescue Thousand Oaks

The Thousand Oaks High baseball team had made so many errors and played so badly at home this season that after defeating Culver City on the road in the first round of the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs last week, members of the team actually requested another road game.

No deal. Tuesday’s second-round game against Rolling Hills would be played at home.

But to give the illusion of a road contest, the Thousand Oaks coaching staff ordered the team to pack its gear on a bus, which was driven to the baseball field on the other side of the campus and unloaded.

Thousand Oaks unloaded again in the bottom of the seventh, rallying from a nine-run deficit to defeat Rolling Hills, 12-11, in eight innings. Thousand Oaks will play West Covina, a 9-8 winner over Ocean View, in the quarterfinals Friday.

Trailing, 10-1, in the bottom of the seventh, Thousand Oaks (11-8) scored nine times to send the game into extra innings. After the Lancers received five consecutive walks to open the inning, Brent Christenson bashed a grand slam to make it 10-6. It was Christenson’s fourth homer of the season and second slam.

After a pitching change, Lance Martin walked. One out later, Jason Goldstein walked. David Skeels then lined a two-run double down the line in left to bring the Lancers to within 10-8.

Scott Barkman (8-4), who relieved in the eighth, walked and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third. Ryan Kritscher singled to drive in Skeels and Billy Hall tied the score with another single. After another pitching change, Christenson struck out to end the inning.

Rolling Hills took an 11-10 lead off Barkman, but the Lancers won it with two in the bottom of the eighth.

Martin led off with a single on an 0-2 pitch and stole second. One out later, Goldstein singled, Martin taking third. Skeels was hit in the head by a pitch to load the bases.

Barkman drove in the winning run with a single to left as Goldstein scored from second with a headfirst dive over the catcher at home.

It was the second playoff win in a row for Thousand Oaks, which before this season had not won a postseason game since Chuck Crim (Milwaukee Brewers) was playing in 1979.

Thousand Oaks was 0-6 in first-round games in the 1980s.

In other second-round games:

4-A DIVISION

San Luis Obispo 4, Hart 3--San Luis Obispo scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to knock off top-seeded Hart.

With two out in the seventh and Josh Simmons on second base, a passed ball allowed Simmons to advance to third base. Hart then elected to intentionally walk Grant Munger, who led San Luis Obispo (21-4) this season with a .386 average.

Keith Halcovich (5-2), who relieved starter Andrew Lorraine in the sixth, then uncorked a wild pitch to score Simmons and tie the game. With Munger on second, winning pitcher Tim Kubinski (11-0) singled to left field, scoring Munger.

Kubinski struck out eight and walked seven. He allowed just seven hits in snapping Hart’s 20-game win streak.

Hart, The Times’ second-ranked area team, finished 23-2-2.

Glendora 11, Notre Dame 4--Glendora banged around three Notre Dame pitchers en route to 11 first-inning runs at Glendora.

Eric Vellozzi started and was relieved in the first by Cary Wichmann and freshman Chris Leveque. Notre Dame pitchers walked seven and hit three in the inning.

J. J. O’Laughlin, an Illinois-bound quarterback who plays the outfield, belted one of Glendora’s two homers.

Steve Colella and Lou Tapia homered for Notre Dame (18-11-1), which had a six-game win streak snapped.

Anaheim Canyon 16, Buena 5--Sophomore pitcher Jeff Brunswig went three for four with three runs batted in to pace Canyon at home.

Brunswig helped break the game open with a run-scoring single in Canyon’s five-run third. Junior Greg Tippin led off the inning with a home run to center.

Canyon (14-12-1) had 16 hits and benefited from 10 walks by four Buena pitchers.

Bishop Amat 5, Glendale 3--Eric White hit a two-run home run and a two-run triple to push host Bishop Amat (18-9) into the quarterfinals against Westlake, which defeated Torrance, 4-1.

White finished three for three with four runs batted in to support the complete-game pitching of J.D. Romero, who allowed seven hits and struck out four.

White even earned an intentional pass from Glendale in the sixth inning with runners at first and second.

“We weren’t gonna pitch to that sucker again,” Glendale Coach Chris Axelgard said.

For Glendale (17-7-2), catcher Jon Strauss went two for two with a two-run single in the fourth inning to close a 5-1 deficit to 5-3. Earlier, Glendale had scored on an RBI single by Lance Evans.

Brent Overfelt (6-2) took the loss for Glendale, surrendering 11 hits.

2-A DIVISION

El Segundo 9, Santa Clara 5--The top-seeded team in the division scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 5-3 deficit.

The host Eagles pounded out 10 hits, including three home runs.

Senior right-hander Tim Gutierrez took the loss for Santa Clara.

SMALL SCHOOLS DIVISION

Queen of Angels 4, Pilgrim 2--Steve Steger struck out eight in three innings of no-hit relief and visiting Queen of Angels (14-4) came back from a 2-0 deficit to advance to a Friday quarterfinal game against Rosamond.

Starter Danny Herold (9-2) struck out five in four innings and earned the win. Rolando Natareno, Chris Wilson and Merced Marin each had two hits and an RBI for Queen of Angels.

Leffingwell Christian 7, Highland Hall 5--All but one of Leffingwell Christian’s runs was unearned, and visiting Highland Hall fell behind, 5-1, after one inning.

Second-seeded Highland Hall closed the gap to 5-3 after three and to 7-5 after six but left the tying run on second in the sixth.

Highland Hall starter Robert Ramirez (12-3) struck out nine and walked one in a complete-game loss. Jakob Jensen was two for four with two RBI for Highland Hall (24-3).

Unseeded Leffingwell Christian is 13-7.